1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the field of containers and more specifically relates to containers for use with viscous comestibles.
2. State of the Art
Containers and cartridges may be useful for containing various materials such as beverages and foods. Beverages and foods may be heated or cooled to preserve the desired taste, texture and over-all quality of the comestibles according to a consumer's preference. Heating comestibles may tend to decrease the viscosity of the product, thereby making it more flowable. Cooling comestibles may tend to increase the viscosity of the product, thereby making it less flowable, potentially creating problems for consuming such products.
Ice cream, a typically cooled comestible, may be purchased in large cartons, pails and scrounds from grocery markets, and in smaller quantities from retail ice cream shops, fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, and concessions. For ice cream, frozen yogurts, and other such products, ideally the temperature of the product should remain low to preserve the desired quality for a reasonable duration; however this greatly increases the viscosity of such products potentially rendering them unflowable from typical containers or cartridges.
Certain containers attempt to solve this problem by designing the container with a lid that is removed to allow the contents to be consumed, thus allowing a disposable utensil to be used by a consumer to spoon out the frozen product. The use of a spoon increases the over-all cost of serving such a product and increases waste since the majority of disposable utensils are discarded after a single use, thereby increasing demand on landfills. In addition, the use of a removable lid also allows the lid to be lost or contaminated. Use of a spoon may also not be practical should the product become less viscous. Further, this style of container is unlikely to prevent any spillage should the container be upset or oriented horizontally.
Other containers may use an oversized straw allowing an individual to consume a semi-frozen beverage by suction means. One problem with this approach is that the frozen item has varying viscosities because of variations in temperature. A user thus finds themselves looking for warmer, less viscous areas to suck from and often has to simply wait for the product to thaw more fully. Similarly, for frozen products, those with fruit or other objects or very thick viscous products, this alternative may not be feasible. Fruit and other particulates, such as toppings and the like may plug the straw and/or the thick product may not be able to be ‘sucked’ through even an oversized straw. Cones may also be used for serving frozen products such as ice cream; however the cone and ice cream must be consumed within a limited time frame to prevent the ice cream from melting and creating a mess. Cones may also be easily contaminated and become unsanitary should they come into contact with unclean surfaces or hands
Ideally, a container system for storing and dispensing frozen and partially frozen comestibles should comprise a sanitary means to substantially contain liquids and solids at various consistencies and yet remain cost-efficient to manufacture and use. Thus, a need exists for a reliable containment system to consistently purvey frozen foods and beverages in varied environmental conditions and to avoid the above-mentioned problems.